IG Metall Strikes Expand

IG Metall’s strikes expand including 36, 000 employees in a dispute which has as purpose improving pay and terms.

Among the manufacturers targeted today, May 3rd, were Daimler AG , ThyssenKrupp AG and Volkswagen AG. The warning strikes began on April 29th, and since then more than 100 businesses have been affected. The initial strike from April 30th at Daimler’s Sprinter van plant in Dusseldorf was followed today by a walkout of 800 workers from the same plant. The very first strikes were at Porsche AG and VW.

A total of 12,000 employees had walked out from 55 businesses in Daimler’s home state of Baden-Wuerttemberg today. The union tries to get a 6.5% pay rise, more say over the employment of temporary workers and unrestricted full-time hiring at the end of apprenticeships. The union refused the 3% pay rise offered on April 19th by the Gesamtmetall manufacturing employers’ association Baden-Wuerttemberg branch.

Other strikes were planned for today, including protests in Freiburg with a motorcade carrying 650 workers from Daimler, General Electric Co., Solar-Fabrik AG and other metalworking and electronics companies in the area. The next talks between IG Metall and Suedwestmetall, the Baden-Wuerttemberg branch are to take place on May 8th and continue until May 15th if necessary.